My Ultimate Gacha System-Chapter 183 - 177: Germany vs England U21 [II]

Chapter 183: Chapter 177: Germany vs England U21 [II]
Kayden’s first touch was perfect as he received with his body angled toward goal, and his second touch released Mason Teller with a through ball that split Germany’s center-backs with surgical precision, and suddenly Teller was in behind the defensive line with only the goalkeeper to beat as he drove into the penalty area with the German crowd’s noise dropping to nervous silence.
Teller struck cleanly with his right foot as the goalkeeper charged out to close the angle, and the shot had power and direction toward the bottom corner, but German goalkeeper Lukas Reimann reacted brilliantly by diving forward and blocking the shot with his legs, and the ball deflected wide for a corner while the England bench rose instinctively before settling back as the chance went unconverted.
"What a save!" the commentator exclaimed. "Reimann denies Teller with an excellent block! England’s best chance of the half and Germany’s goalkeeper comes up huge!"
Demien stood briefly along with the other substitutes before sitting back down, and his chest felt tight with frustration because the chance had been perfect and Teller’s finish had been well-struck, and watching opportunities go unconverted from the bench carried a particular kind of helplessness that playing couldn’t replicate.
Owen Blake exhaled slowly beside him and muttered under his breath, "Fuck, that was the chance," and Demien nodded once in agreement while watching England prepare to take the corner kick.
The corner came in with pace toward the near post where Harvey Keane attacked it with a powerful run, and his header was goal-bound until a German defender on the line cleared it desperately, and the second ball fell to Reece Darlow outside the box who struck on the half-volley, and the shot flew over the crossbar by three feet, and England’s attacking momentum stalled as Germany cleared their lines.
26’ - 30’ |
Germany regained control of the match’s tempo as they pushed England deeper with sustained possession, and their fullbacks became increasingly aggressive in supporting attacks, and at the twenty-eighth minute a recycled corner found space outside the box where Hezii_2G had drifted inward unnoticed by England’s midfield.
Hezii struck through traffic as the ball bounced once, and his shot was hit cleanly with power, and it deflected slightly off an England defender’s leg which changed the trajectory, and the ball skimmed wide of the post by inches while Whitfield was already diving the other direction, and the German crowd groaned again because another clear chance had gone unconverted.
Germany’s coach clapped once from the touchline, sharp and approving, and his body language reinforced the behavior rather than criticizing the outcome because the movement and positioning had been correct even if the finish wasn’t perfect, and his players responded by maintaining their aggressive approach.
"Germany really turning the screw now," the commentator noted. "England under sustained pressure here. They need to find a way to relieve it before Germany breakthrough."
England survived the pressure through disciplined defending as their backline stayed compact and organized, and when the ball was cleared long toward the halfway line Kayden chased it down and won a throw-in deep in Germany’s half, and the brief respite allowed England to push higher and compress Germany’s space.
31’ - 35’ |
The next five minutes saw both teams trading possession without creating clear chances as fatigue began affecting decision-making and the initial intensity dropped slightly, and the match settled into a more tactical battle where positioning mattered more than pace.
At the thirty-third minute Germany’s sustained pressure led to a dangerous free kick twenty-eight yards from goal as Calum Price brought down Weiss with a clumsy challenge, and the referee awarded the set piece without showing a card because the foul hadn’t been cynical, just mistimed.
KingD2605 stood over the ball while England organized their defensive wall, and Whitfield positioned his wall carefully while shouting instructions to his defenders about marking runners, and when the whistle blew KingD2605 struck the ball with his right foot, and the shot curled over the wall with good technique but lacked the dip needed to beat Whitfield who watched it sail over the crossbar.
"Good effort from KingD," the co-commentator observed. "Just over the bar. Germany creating chances but can’t find the breakthrough. You sense England are riding their luck a bit here."
From the bench Demien processed the pattern developing because Germany were dominating territory and creating chances while England were defending professionally but offering little going forward, and he recognized that Carsley would need to make adjustments at halftime because the current approach wasn’t sustainable for another forty-five minutes without conceding.
36’ - 40’ |
England’s best moment of the closing ten minutes came from a counter-attack as Germany committed numbers forward and lost possession in a dangerous area, and suddenly Javier Crane had space on the left flank with only one defender to beat.
Crane drove forward with pace while Kayden made a supporting run centrally, and Germany’s defense scrambled to recover their shape, and Crane cut inside onto his right foot as the covering defender closed him down, and his shot was blocked by a last-ditch tackle that deflected the ball out for a corner.
The England bench stood again briefly as the chance developed, and Carsley remained motionless on the touchline though his eyes tracked every movement, and when the corner was cleared by Germany’s center-back with a powerful header, England’s attacking threat ended as quickly as it had appeared.
41’ - 45’ |
The final five minutes of the half played out with both teams aware of the scoreline and reluctant to take excessive risks, and Germany maintained territorial advantage without forcing the issue while England prioritized defensive shape over attacking ambition.
At the forty-third minute Germany created one final half-chance as a cross from the right found Richter at the back post, and his header was aimed toward the bottom corner, but Whitfield positioned himself perfectly and caught the ball cleanly without drama.
The fourth official raised his board showing two minutes of added time, and both teams used the additional period to maintain possession without creating danger, and when the referee checked his watch and raised the whistle to his lips, the stadium noise had dropped from the opening intensity to something more measured.
Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt! Fweeeeeetttttttt!
HALFTIME: GERMANY 0-0 ENGLAND
The players began walking toward the tunnel as scattered applause came from the German sections who recognized their team’s dominance even without the goal to show for it, and England’s starting eleven moved with quiet professionalism because surviving the first half without conceding was an achievement even if it hadn’t been pretty.
Commentary Booth
"Well, goalless at the break but it certainly hasn’t been dull," the lead commentator summarized. "Germany with the better of the chances, England weathering the storm. Lee Carsley will have some adjustments to make if they want to get more control in this second half."
"Absolutely," his colleague agreed. "Germany deserve to be ahead based on that first half. England defended well but offered very little going forward. Teller’s chance aside, they’ve barely tested the German goalkeeper. Something needs to change after the break."
Demien stood from the bench along with the other substitutes and began moving toward the tunnel entrance, and as he walked he processed what he’d witnessed—Germany’s aggressive pressing, England’s disciplined but passive response, the clear tactical battle between two well-coached sides where neither had found the decisive edge yet.
Owen Blake walked beside him and said quietly, "Second half’s going to be different. We can’t defend for another forty-five minutes like that."
"Yeah," Demien agreed, and his jaw tightened slightly because he recognized the pattern from his years as David Drinkwater watching matches from dugouts across England, and he knew Carsley would need to adjust the approach or risk Germany eventually breaking through.
The tunnel swallowed both teams as they disappeared toward their respective dressing rooms, and the stadium announcer’s voice echoed across the stands announcing the halftime score while maintenance staff began clearing debris from the touchline and preparing for the second half.
Germany 0-0 England.
The scoreline was level but the momentum wasn’t, and Demien followed his teammates down the corridor toward England’s away dressing room where Carsley would deliver his halftime instructions that might include changes to personnel or tactics or both.
Still on the bench.
Still watching.
Still waiting for his moment if it came.
The first half belonged to Germany even without the goal to prove it, and the second half would determine whether England could survive or whether their defensive approach would eventually crack under sustained pressure from a German side playing with confidence and crowd support that made every attack feel dangerous.
Demien reached the dressing room door and stepped inside where the familiar smell of liniment and sweat filled the air, and he found his spot on the bench side while the starters began removing their boots and organizing their kit, and everyone waited for Carsley to arrive with instructions that would shape the next forty-five minutes.
Normal.
Professional.
Unresolved.
Exactly what halftime should be.